Taking a Cruise Through Northern Spain
I frequently get bunks on boats in Europe through Venture Sailing Holidays. These have been some of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. As an avid fan of Patrick O’Brian and Aubrey/Maturin novels, I felt compelled to go to A Coruña, on the northwest corner of Spain, for a 12-day harbor-hopping trip south.
Sept. 7, 2025: I arrive after three flights from San Diego. It was a drizzly morning in this surprisingly green area. With charter starting tomorrow, I make my way out to Torre de Hercules, an 180-foot-tall lighthouse originally built by the Romans around 50 CE to guide their ships to Britain — a huge structure that was rebuilt in the 1700s.
Sept. 8: I leave the hotel and walk to the marina side of town to find Cherokee, my home for the next 12 days. Most traditional Coruña buildings are white and about four to five stories high with the balconies glassed in so they shimmer. Coruña — which is called the “City of Glass” — is a wealthy, major port of the north. I board Cherokee, a 65-ft sailboat with Dutch captain Yunke and a mate, as well as four other Dutch guests. My cabin mate, Ahhe, is a real miller who ran a water windmill in Holland for many years. The captain warns us about the orcas frequently attacking boats, and checks the app GT Orca, which tallies sightings and physical encounters.
Sept. 9: Camariñas: We depart A Coruña past Torre de Hercules under rainy skies, which develop into Force 6 with 10-foot seas. The rain in Spain does not fall mainly on the plain, it fell on us the 55 miles to Camariñas. We tack out 20 miles for a favorable angle to harbor. The boat, crew and I were OK, but the guests were not. The coast is forbidding with huge cliffs. We anchor in a snug bay for the night.
Sept. 10: Muxia. After a quiet night on the hook, we have a lively, rainy sail into Muxia across a bay of dolphins and breaking waves. I walk up to Santuario da Virxe da Barca (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Boat), a small church facing the sea about 10 feet from rocks and filled with boat models. There are sweeping views of the rough, agitated coast aptly called Costa da Morte (Coast of Death), which yields terrific scallops in the aerated water for a great meal with Albarino vino.
